Inside Politics

What changed the CDS' story

Here are the field notes that CDS Walt Natynczyk says he saw for the first time this morning.

These notes are from an unnamed sergeant in Bravo Company, 2 Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group.

The scanned image is hard to read, so we've transcribed from our print copy what the Canadian Forces personnel on the scene that day duly reported in writing about what happened: 

20:00 14 Jun 06 [location redacted]

Stopped along Rte [redacted] and held up a vehicle that was proceeding south down the route. Stopped and searched the three individuals in the white van and got a very weird feel from one of them. Had the terp [interpreter] come and he [unclear] that the individual was in an probability Enemy (Taliban) due to his accent and his false story of being from Kandahar City. So I had him lie down on his stomach, then conducted a detailed search (I had him empty his pockets prior to this) catalogued all his items and then took down his particulars (name [redacted]  from Uruzgan). We then photographed the individual prior to handing him over, to ensure that if the ANP did assault him, as has happened in the past, we would have a visual record of his condition. The ANP Section Comd, [redacted] then arrived, asked the suspect a couple of questions and concurred with our assessment that the individual was enemy. We in good faith handed the PUC [person under control] over to them so that he could be transported to the Zhari District Center [Forward Operating Base Wilson] where [watchdog] (a radio call-sign for military police) could get him. That was the last I saw him. [redacted] is one of [redacted] men.

Video of the CDS' statement to reporters this morning is also available.